Saira Kiyizbaeva

Сайра Кийизбаева

Saira Kiyizbaeva was born in the latter half of the year 1917. She, and three other contemporaries (Darkul Kuyukova, Baken Kydykeyeva, and Sabira Kumushalieva) were collectively called the Four Daughters of Tököldösh. This name was invented by Darkul Kuyukova’s older brother and refers to their native village which used to be located close to the capital. Today the city has grown and the village is included within the borders of Bishkek.

Kiyizbaeva was known in the Soviet Union as a great opera singer (lyric soprano) and became the leading soloist at the Kyrgyz Music and Drama Theatre (later Opera and Ballet Theatre) in 1936. She starred in several theatrical dramas and operas, ranging from Goethe’s “Faust” to Maldybaev’s and Vlasov’s “Toktogul”, and executed her performances in Russian and/or Kyrgyz. She performed there until 1972, and was the Director of the theater in the years 1963-1964. As of 1956, she also started teaching singing and vocals.

During her life, she received several awards including Honored Artist of the Kirghiz SSR (1939), People's Artist of the Kirghiz SSR (1942), and People's Artist of the USSR (1958). Saira Kiyizbaeva passed away in 1988.

Read more:

Igmen, A. (2012). Speaking Soviet with an Accent: Culture and Power in Kyrgyzstan. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.